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1 Abantu belizwe bathatha uJehowahazi indodana kaJosiya bamenza inkosi eJerusalema esikhundleni sikayise.
Ukubusa KukaJehowahazi
2 UJehowahazi wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lantathu yobudala esiba yinkosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okwezinyanga ezintathu. 3 Inkosi yaseGibhithe yamethula ubukhosi eJerusalema njalo yathelisa abakoJuda amathalenta alikhulu esiliva kanye lethalenta legolide. 4 Inkosi yaseGibhithe, yabeka u-Eliyakhimu, umfowabo kaJehowahazi, ukuba abe yinkosi yakoJuda laseJerusalema yasiguqula ibizo lika-Eliyakhimu laba nguJehoyakhimi. Kodwa uNekho wathatha umfowabo ka-Eliyakhimu uJehowahazi wamusa eGibhithe.
UJehoyakhimi Inkosi YakoJuda
5 UJehoyakhimi wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu ubudala esiba yinkosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka elitshumi lanye. Wenza ububi phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe. 6 UNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni wamhlasela wambopha ngamaketane ethusi wasemusa eBhabhiloni. 7 UNebhukhadineza wasuka lezinye impahla zethempeli likaThixo wazisa ethempelini lakhe elaliseBhabhiloni.
8 Ezinye izehlakalo ngombuso kaJehoyakhimi, lamanyala awenzayo lakho konke okwatholakala kulihlazo ngaye, kulotshiwe egwalweni lwamakhosi ako-Israyeli lakoJuda. UJehoyakhini indodana yakhe wathatha isikhundla waba yinkosi.
UJehoyakhini Inkosi YakoJuda
9 UJehoyakhini wayeleminyaka elitshumi lasificaminwembili ubudala esiba yinkosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okwezinyanga ezintathu lezinsuku ezilitshumi. Wenza ububi phambi kukaThixo. 10 Kwathi entwasa, inkosi uNebhukhadineza yathumela ukuthi bamlethe eBhabhiloni, kanye lempahla eziligugu ezazivela ethempelini likaThixo, wabeka uZedekhiya isinini sikaJehoyakhini ukuba yinkosi yakoJuda laseJerusalema.
UZedekhiya Inkosi YakoJuda
11 UZedekhiya waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanye, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka elitshumi lanye. 12 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe njalo kazange azithobe ngaphansi komphrofethi uJeremiya, owayekhulumela uThixo. 13 Wahlamukela inkosi uNebhukhadineza, owayemfungise ngebizo likaNkulunkulu. Waba lenkani, lenhliziyo elukhuni, kazange azithobe kuThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 14 Abakhokheli bonke babaphristi lababantu baqhubeka ngokungathembeki, belandela izenzo ezingamanyala zezizwe, bengcolisa ithempeli likaThixo, ayezehlukanisele lona eJerusalema.
Ukuwa KweJerusalema
15 UThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo, wathumela ilizwi ephindaphinda ngezithunywa zakhe, ngoba wayelesihawu ebantwini bakhe kanye lendawo yakhe yokuhlala. 16 Kodwa izithunywa zikaNkulunkulu babezihleka ulunya, beseyisa amazwi akhe njalo beklolodela abaphrofethi bakhe lwaze lwavutha ulaka lukaThixo ebantwini bakhe kungasekho okunganceda. 17 Ngakho wathuma inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, yabulala amajaha akibo ngenkemba endlini engcwele, njalo akusindanga jaha loba ntombi, indoda endala loba oseluphele. UNkulunkulu wabanikela bonke esandleni sikaNebhukhadineza. 18 Wathutha zonke impahla zethempeli likaNkulunkulu wazisa eBhabhiloni, zonke ezincinyane lezinkulu, kanye lezenotho yethempelini likaThixo lezenotho yenkosi leyezikhulu zayo. 19 Batshisa ithempeli likaNkulunkulu njalo badiliza umduli weJerusalema; batshisa zonke izigodlo batshabalalisa lakho konke okwakuligugu khonapho.
20 Wathatha bonke ababesele bengadliwanga yinkemba wabasa eBhabhiloni baba yizichaka zakhe lezamadodana akhe kwaze kwangena umbuso wasePhezhiya. 21 Ilizwe lazuza ukuphumula kwalo kwamasabatha; kusosonke isikhathi salo sencithakalo laphumula kwaze kwaphela iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa ukugcwalisa ilizwi likaThixo elakhulunywa nguJeremiya.
22 Ngomnyaka wakuqala wenkosi yasePhezhiya uKhurosi, ukuze kugcwaliseke ilizwi likaThixo elakhulunywa nguJeremiya, uThixo wathinta inhliziyo kaKhurosi inkosi yasePhezhiya ukuba yenze isimemezelo kuwo wonke umbuso wayo, ukuthi sibhalwe phansi kuthiwe:
23 “Nanti ilizwi likaKhurosi inkosi yasePhezhiya elithi:
‘UThixo, uNkulunkulu wasezulwini unginike yonke imibuso yomhlaba njalo ungikhethile ukuba ngimakhele ithempeli eJerusalema koJuda. Loba ngubani, wabantu bakhe phakathi kwenu sengathi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe angaba laye, kahambe.’ ”